Is DOL registration required before H-1B?

There is no formal registration with the Department of Labor (DOL) before the H-1B, but there is a mandatory prior step with that agency: the employer must obtain certification of the Labor Condition Application (LCA). This is not a worker registration — it is an employer commitment validated by the DOL.

Through the LCA, the employer commits to wage and working conditions consistent with the standards for the occupation and location, in compliance with labor laws. This DOL certification must be approved before the H-1B petition can move forward to USCIS, which handles the next stage of the process.

• There is no candidate registration with the DOL as a prerequisite.
• The actual prior step is the employer’s LCA certification.
• The LCA comes first; the petition to USCIS comes after.

Since each stage has its own requirements and the order matters, it is worth confirming the current procedures with the DOL and USCIS, or with a specialist, to avoid stalling the process due to an out-of-sequence step.

About the author

Victoria Harper

Editor-in-Chief

Meet the author

As a journalist and lead editor at Visto n’ Visa, Victoria helps ensure that immigration topics are covered in a clear, trustworthy, and easy-to-understand way. Her focus is on delivering useful, human, and relevant content for people exploring new paths abroad.